Baldor delivers motor energy calculator via iPhone app

BE$T software conveniently shows potential savings when single or grouped motors are changed to energy-efficient designs.

Renee Robbins

03/17/2010

When it comes to calculating the energy efficiency related to new industrial motors or the use of variable speed drives, there's an app for that. Baldor Electric Company announced that it's BE$T energy-calculating software is now available as an Apple iPhone application.

The software can calculate the energy use of a group of industrial motors, showing the amount of money that can be saved when all motors in the group are changed to energy-effiicent designs. It is also capable of calculating and comparing yearly electrical savings when a variable frequency drive (VFD) is used verses a constant speed motor, as well as showing annual carbon dioxide footprint reductions.

"The BE$T application for iPhones is an industry first," said Randy Breaux, vice president of marketing for the Fort Smith, AR, manufacturer of industrial electric motors, mechanical power transmission products, drives and generators. "Most people today, consumer and business, have an iPhone, and it is readily available to calculate savings. The app made sense."

The BE$T iPhone application is available from iTunes and can be located by searching on the keyword "Baldor" The expected users of the application are "end users, distributors, OEMs...basically anyone who purchases or specifies electric motors," said Breaux.

Baldor's software is already available as desktop software delivered via CD-ROM, or downloaded from www.baldor.com. The iPhone application offers the functionality of the desktop program in a smaller, easier to use package.

The app can calculate an existing motor's annual electricity usage based on its nominal efficiency, then compare the result to the annual electricity usage of Baldor's Standard-E and Super-E premium efficiency motors and recommend, by catalog number, the appropriate Baldor motor. The app also notes the payback period, in months, for replacing the existing motor. If multiple motor upgrades are available, the user can touch the match button to view the best motors for the situation, and compare the paybacks.